New staff member and flexible working

[Karting1967]

I work for a small company and we have just taken on the first staff member who reports to me. It’s an admin role, customer facing, 9-5.

She’s made a great start so far.

The company is doing well and I will have another direct report in a few weeks with more to follow if all goes to plan.

Due to the fact that new colleague has a long commute (say 2.5 hours per day), the directors are already talking about offering her flexible hours and the possibility to work from home on a regular basis.

Whilst I agree we should do what we can to keep good staff and offer flexibility, I disagree with their suggestion as it only stores up problems for the future as and when other staff join. Someone else will want to start late, finish late; another will want to come in early and finish early... And before you know it everyone’s working different hours that we can’t refuse because we offered it to the first person.

What are other people’s opinions/experience of this?

I am glad you're not my manager. Or in my team frankly.

Why would everyone asking to work flexibly be a problem? Everyone in my team works flexibly, we deliver what we need to and more. If we need to do more hours we will, but we don't insist on a rigid working pattern for the sake of it. Between us we ensure we're covered for everything we need to do, and there is give and take on all sides.

The idea that you think someone with no caring responsibilities shouldn't be allowed to work flexibly is frankly offensive. People with children are not, whatever you may think, deserving of special treatment. Everyone is allowed a fulfilling, balanced, rounded life. A good employer, or manager, will make sure they have the chance of that.

Time to get with the times.
I have no caring responsibilities so would never have asked for flexible hours but they were offered, that 1 day WFH meant we could get a dog and saves my sanity when I can chuck a wash on at lunch. I work harder/longer too, as there's no commute time. They'll have to drag me out of this job and I'd not consider somewhere backwards enough not to be flexible now.
Build your team for the future so you remain an attractive place to work - you still get to put the business first

Why make someone work in the office when they can work just as well from home?

What you need is to manage someone based on their output, not on whether they are present in the office or not.

And it doesn't matter whether you have caring responsibilities. Not having to commute is better for the employee's finances as well as for the environment, it saves a lot of time, and the employee might also have hobbies they'd like to pursue.

If the person does their job well, it really is nobody's business where they do the job.

And it doesn't matter if everyone wants flexible working - you just have core hours and a time when everyone is in for meetings etc.

Obviously this applies to office jobs, not something like retail or teaching!

As an aside I have several friends who WFT either PT or FT and everyone of them takes the piss a bit by nipping out for exercise or shopping etc etc and do not make the time up. They all admit this. They log calls when they aren’t working. It’s open to abuse.

As is working in the office. A true piss taker can find ways to do fuck all everywhere.

Coming into work when you don’t need to is unreasonable and antiquated. It’s bad for people’s personal lives, it makes housing unaffordable, it’s bad for the environment, it adds to traffic congestion. If she doesn’t need to be in the office to do her job then she shouldn’t be. I think it’s great that your employer is so forward thinking.

Still havent answered what job she does.

As an aside I have several friends who WFT either PT or FT and everyone of them takes the piss a bit by nipping out for exercise or shopping etc etc and do not make the time up. They all admit this. They log calls when they aren’t working. It’s open to abuse.

That's nothing to do with flexible working itself though. Either the manager is not noticing their output is dropping or they are more efficient at home and get all their work done in less hours.

I've seen plenty of office based people look busy but they are actually typing emails to friends, online shopping etc rather than getting on with their work.

You sound a bit jel that the directors want to do something to help.

Anyway, it's absolutely fine to approve flex working for one person and not another, providing the reasons are sound. They should all be considered on a case by case basis.

I have several friends who WFT either PT or FT and everyone of them takes the piss a bit by nipping out for exercise or shopping etc etc and do not make the time up. They all admit this. They log calls when they aren’t working. It’s open to abuse

Not sure about logging calls when not working. But the rest doesn't matter. If you do the work in less time, why do you need to make the time up? There is always an argument that you could be doing something, but if you've done what you need to do for the day I don't see the issue with finishing, as long as you are still available for urgent emails/calls etc.

Because in discussion it seemed these are people who are paid to do XY and Z on the basis it takes them 8 working hours per day and the clear understanding that if they can feasibly do it in much less time they should be asking for more work or expanding what they achieve. But they choose to effectively take three hours off in the day and claim they are working full time and flat out.

It’s dishonest
Yes people at desks can take the piss but it’s much more obvious and easier to see what’s going on.

That's massively debatable. Also, expecting people to ask for more work if they're efficient is going to have the effect of discouraging efficiency in some cases.

My office is very flexible, (SME) as a result I have worked there for 5 years and I'm the newest member of the team. We have a great environment, as a result we go above and beyond and work together really well.

Your reasons for not wanting her to have flexible working don't sound entirely honourable and quite frankly you sound like a micro manager/jealous/power trippy.

Because in discussion it seemed these are people who are paid to do XY and Z on the basis it takes them 8 working hours per day and the clear understanding that if they can feasibly do it in much less time they should be asking for more work or expanding what they achieve. But they choose to effectively take three hours off in the day and claim they are working full time and flat out.

It’s dishonest

@Whereareyouspot So in the case you describe, you and the others in the office are doing the jobs these people are not picking up at home even though they have the capacity?

It’s dishonest
Flexible working isn’t inherently dishonest but these people definitely are. Like so many things it’s up to the individual as to whether they will abuse it.
I’m working from home tomorrow and I will probably get more done there than I ever would at work because of the lack of interruptions. I may well put a load of washing on while I make a cup of tea but it’s no more time than I’d lose walking to the kitchen to make a drink at work.